Rocket Docket | March 2017

Baylor Law Ranks #3 in Trial Advocacy, #51 Overall in National U.S. News Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor Law’s highly respected trial advocacy program #3 in the nation. Baylor Law also ranked #51—a four spot jump from last year—among fully accredited law schools in the "Best Law Schools" category of the magazine's 2018 edition of "Best Graduate Schools."Full Story

John and Marie Chiles Federalist Papers Lecture Series Brings Yale Law Professor Akhil Reed Amar to Baylor Law

Through the continued generosity of John and Marie Chiles, Baylor Law School hosts an annual lecture series on the Federalist Papers, to our knowledge the only lecture series of its kind in the nation. The lectures are free and open to Baylor Law students, Baylor undergraduates, the local bar, and the public. On Feb. 17, Yale Law School Professor Akhil Reed Amar, one of America's leading Constitutional scholars, spoke on "Probing the Minds of Hamilton, Madison & Jay: The Guidance of the Federalist Papers." Full Story

Baylor Law Faculty Speak at 179th Annual Meeting of The Philosophical Society of Texas

On Feb. 17-19, The Philosophical Society of Texas held its 179th annual meeting in Waco, Texas. Seven members of the Baylor Law School faculty led sessions on various topics including trial by jury, the status and future of legal education, capital punishment, and the judicial system administration. Full Story

LEAD Counsel Inspires at Baylor Law's Inaugural Making a Difference Conference

On February 17th, Baylor Law's LEAD (Leadership Engagement and Development) Counsel hosted the inaugural Making a Difference Conference at the Sheila & Walter Umphrey Law Center. The purpose of the conference was to inspire students and young lawyers to use their legal training to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Congratulations to 1L Jenny Forgey for establishing LEAD Counsel and the inaugural conference and for all of the students who helped orchestrate a successful event! Full Story

Speakers for the Inaugural Conference Included:

Senator Kirk Watson State of Texas Senator, Senate District 14

Congressman Chet Edwards Former U.S. Congressman, House of Representatives District 17

Mayor Ken Shetter Mayor, City of Burleson, Texas

Councilman Dillon Meek Council Member, Waco City Council

Joe B. Allen Attorney and Lobbyist (retired)

Bill Miller Lobbyist, HillCo Partners

Brad Toben Dean, Baylor Law School

Leah Teague Associate Dean, Baylor Law School

Ashley Allison Director, Waco Foundation

Berkley Knas Baylor Law Alumni Relations and Waco Community Leader

Abby Griffith Baylor Law student and Founder, Golden Door Foundation

Baylor Law School Hosts 12th Annual People's Law School

On Feb. 11, Baylor Law School hosted the 12th annual People's Law School, which offered a half-day curriculum of courses designed to educate laypersons about their legal rights and to give "user friendly" overviews of several areas of the law. Full Story

New courses this year included:

A Behind the Scenes Look at Jury Selection

Taxation for the Self-Employed

The Legislative Process: Statutes, Rules, and Executive Orders

A special thank you to Professor Pat Wilson for leading the People's Law School for the past 12 years!

Baylor Law Students Go Undefeated to Advance to the National Trial Competition

Under the leadership of Coach Robert Little, JD '05, Baylor Law student teams BB Sanford & Keshav Nair and Chris Arnell & Marcus Fifer competed in the National Trial Competition Regional in Dallas, TX, Feb. 3-5. Sanford and Nair remained undefeated over the weekend and advanced to the National Trial Competition. Arnell and Fifer, who were competing in their first law school mock trial competition, advanced to the quarter finals. Full Story

Kathryn Boatman, JD '08, Named ABA Outstanding Young Lawyer

Kathryn Boatman, JD '08, of Andrews Kurth Kenyon's Houston office, has received the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division's Wm. Reece Smith Jr. National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Full Story

SUBMISSIONS WANTED! Are you a Baylor Lawyer married to a Baylor Lawyer? If so send us your story for consideration in a future issue of Docket Call or Rocket Docket.

Please send a short paragraph and include fun details such as when you met; how you met; when you got married; what it was like going through law school together (if applicable); if you were PC partners; what it's like having two Baylor Lawyers under the same roof; funny law school/PC stories, etc. Please include if you have children (and if they graduated from Baylor Law) as well as brief details about your careers. Please include any pictures from your law school days, wedding, family photos, etc. that you would like considered for publication.

For submissions and questions, please contact Berkley_Knas@baylor.edu.
Submissions must be received by May 1, 2017.

The Baylor Law Career Development Office appreciates the employers who participated in Spring On-Campus Interviews. If you are interested in participating in Fall On-Campus Interviews, please register online or contact Daniel Hare at Daniel_Hare@baylor.edu.

Alumni Notes are published based on the information we receive from our alumni. If you have been recognized or have other professional news to share, please e-mail Berkley_Knas@baylor.edu, for inclusion in the next issue of Rocket Docket.

Hon. Steve Ables, JD '73, was reappointed by Gov. Abbott as the regional presiding judge of the 6th Judicial Region of Texas. The 6th Region is comprised of 27 counties stretching from Kendall County to El Paso County.
David C. Kent, JD '78, of Drinker Biddle in Dallas, co-chaired the Dallas Bar Association's (DBA) Equal Access to Justice Campaign, the DBA's largest fundraiser. The campaign raised a record $1.1 million. . . Read MoreKeith Calcote, JD '81, was named associate general counsel and head of litigation for Motiva Enterprises LLC, a downstream joint venture between Shell and Saudi Aramco with an annual gross revenue of $50 billion in sales of refined products.
Greg White, JD '82, legal writing lecturer at Baylor Law, was selected as a 2017 Texas Super Lawyer for appellate law.
Thomas Klein, JD '84, was re-elected as managing partner of Bowman and Brooke's Phoenix office. Klein has more than 25 years of experience defending product manufacturers in complex product liability litigation, dealer and distributor termination litigation, and toxic tort litigation.
Debbi Goertz, JD '93, was appointed to the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative's Board of Directors, where she will fill the vacant District 3 seat representing Bastrop County.
Laura Hilton Hallmon, JD '99, of Cantey Hanger LLP, in Fort Worth, was elected to the firm's equity partnership. Laura's practice focuses upon litigation of a variety. . . Read MoreJohn LeJeune, JD '02, of the Zimmerman Law Firm in Waco, was presented with the 2016 Baylor Law School Veterans Clinic Advocate of the Year award. . . Read MoreMitchell Murphy, JD '02 rejoined Winstead PC as of counsel in the firm's Fort Worth office. He returns as a member of the Energy Law and Environmental Law Practice Groups.
Joshua C. Zive, JD '02, was elected senior principal of the Washington D.C. office of Bracewell LLP.
Shannon Rickett, JD '05, was named interim assistant vice president for government relations at the University of Louisville.
Katy Boatman, JD '08, of Andrews Kurth in Houston won the ABA National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. . . Read MoreJosh Borderud, JD '09, director of the Veteran's Clinic at Baylor Law and past president of the McLennan County Young Lawyers Association, was awarded the Lone Star Legal Aid Community Partner Award.
Stephen Rispoli, JD '12, assistant dean of student affairs and pro bono programs at Baylor Law School, was awarded the Lone Star Legal Aid Helping Hands Award.
Emily Cottingham, JD '13, joined the Office of the Inspector General as Litigation Associate Counsel.
Andrew Schrader, JD '07, of Beard Kultgen Brophy Bostwick & Dickson, LLP in Waco was promoted to partner.
Travis Gamble, JD '97, Jude Hickland, JD '08, Brittney Johnson, JD '12, David Kent, JD '78, George McCall, JD '77, Kristen Broyles Perry, JD '14, Neil Rambin, JD '79, Alan Vickery, JD '86, and Vance Wittie, JD '85, joined the Dallas office of Drinker, Biddle & Reath.